Rail-joint.



No. 896,553. PATENTEDAUG. 18, 1908. B. KOONTZ.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED .TUNE 15,1907.

l 4 2 I J' FXV \f I iv 5 7 Y /62 L 1 Witness@ armste/13 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERT KOONTZ, OF STEWARDSON, ILLINOIS.

RAIL- JOINT.

Application led. .Tune 15, 1907.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that l, BERT KooNTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stewardson, in the county of Shelby and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in rail joints, whereby the meeting ends of railroad rails are firmly locked together to prevent independent movement in any direction.

The main object of the present invention is the production of means for interlocking the meeting ends of railroad rails so that said ends are utilized to brace each other, the web extensions of the respective rails being normally spaced a slight distance apart to utilize their inherent elasticity as a medium for binding the securing nuts against accidental displacement.

'lhe invention will be described in the following specification, reference being had articularly to the accompanying drawings., m which Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing theA meeting ends of railroad rails connected by my improved oint, Fig. 2 is a top plan of the same, Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a section on line of Fig. 1.

Referring particularly to the drawings it is to be noted that the meeting ends of the respective rails of my improved joint are identical in construction with the exception of the relative projection of the parts, and, therefore, a detailed description of one will suffice for both.

In forming the rail oint the web 1l of one rail, as 2, is offset laterally from the main length of the web to provide an extension 3, extending forwardly from and in a plane parallel to the plane of the main web. The base flange 4 of the rail terminates some distance in rear of the free end of the web extension, while the ball or tread portion 5 thereof terminates forward of the end of the base flange but also in rear of the free end of the extension 3. At the forward extremity the ball of the rail is longitudinally and centrally cut away to provide a ball extension. 6.

The meeting end of the adjacent rail 7 is similarly formed with a web extension 8, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 187 1908.

Serial No. 379,250.

a ball extension 9, these parts being relatively and reversely arranged with respect to the similar parts of the other rail, so that in connecting the rails the respective web extensions and ball extensions will lie side by side. The termination of the base flange 10 of the rail 7 is in advance of the termination of the ball 11 of said rail relative to the end of the web extension, so that when the rails are connected the respective balls and base flanges will contact, but with the joint provided at the meeting ends of the flanges and balls will be offset or out of vertical alinement, thereby providing added strength to the connection. Each of the web extensions 2 and 8 are of such width that when assembled their relatively forward ends will rest upon the inclined surface between said extensions and webs proper, thereby spacing said web extensions a slight vdistance apart, said extensions being each formed with bolt openings 12 arranged to register when the parts are assembled to rovide for the rece tion of bolts 13, hel in place by the usua securing nuts 14. As the bolts are tightened to bind the web sections together said extensions are, through the medium of a space provided between them, placed under more or less tension or strain, with the effect to bind the nuts upon the bolts against probability of accidental loosening.

The contacting edges of the ball extensions 6 and 9 are preferably rounded off in transverse section, as at 15, in Fig. 4, whereby to avoid projection at this point and prevent the otherwise incidental pounding of the truck wheels in passing thereover.

It will be noted that the joint between the base flanges of the respective rails is offset from the joint between the ball portions thereof, and that the web extensions of each respective rail are snugly held between the ball and base flange of the opposing rail. Furthermore, the ball extension of one rail projects beyond the free end of the ball extensions of the other rail. By this construction each section of the rail joint operates to brace every other section, and the strain on one portion incident to the weight of the train is resisted by every other section. The joint thus provided is in effect stronger than any other portion of the rail, as the web sections are of double thickness, and doubly braced against upward or downward move.-

ment,'while the ball extensions provide for the riding of the Wheels onto one rail before they have Wholly left the other rail.

Having thus described the invention What is claimed as new, is

A rail joint comprising interlocking ball Y Y extensions secured on the meeting rail ends, a web extension projecting from the meeting end of each rail and designed to be disposed 10 side by side, means for normally spacing said web extensions a slight distance apart when so disposed, and means for connecting said extensions.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

BERT KOONTZ.

Witnesses:

H. B. GRAHAM, W. M. KRONNWILDE. 

